The Jamaica Food & Drink Festival (JFDF) 2021 will be hosted from November 24 to December 5, 2021, inside Jamaica’s first Experience Kitchen.

Launched under the Jamaica Food & Drink (JFD) umbrella, the Experience Kitchen is a modern, innovative space that will transform Jamaica’s gastronomy offerings.

Those in attendance at the launch got a first peek at JFD Kitchen, including a gourmet market stocked full of local, artisanal brands, speciality wares, wines and spirits and a studio state-of-the-art kitchen built in partnership with ATL and Tile City Jamaica.

Here, from November 24 to December 5, patrons of the Jamaica Food & Drink Festival In D’Kitchen will learn to cook diverse, exotic menus through chef-guided immersive small-group classes as well as larger culinary experiences.

Beyond JFDF 2021, the Kitchen remains open and persons are free to register for cooking and baking classes, bar classes, and exciting interactive events.

Tickets can be purchased for both the Festival and Kitchen’s December line-up at www.jafoodandddrink.com.

Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett officially launched Jamaica Food & Drink Festival 2021 In D’Kitchen and unveiled JFD Kitchen, located on the buzzy gastronomy belt of Kingston 6 at 24-32 Barbican Road. The launch took place on Thursday, November 18, 2021.

“I am pleased that Kingston is the home of the new Jamaica Food & Drink Kitchen,” said Bartlett.

“When it comes to experiencing authentic local lifestyles, customs and culture, you cannot get better than Kingston. The city is widely recognised as the cultural capital of the Caribbean, defined by vibrant culinary experiences, popular food and cultural festivals, and a thriving art and music scene.

“We are taking aggressive steps to position Kingston as a major urban tourism destination, and developing its surrounding areas to offer mountain, cultural and entertainment experiences. The additional pull of Kingston as a UNESCO Creative City of Music will be a drawing card for travellers with a special interest in all things cultural.”

Said Nasma Chin, JFDF festival director: “We are really proud and excited to be part of this exciting and innovative event that will offer something new in the world of food to our supporters. Our main goal through the Jamaica Food & Drink Festival is to elevate gastronomy in Jamaica through carefully curated experiences. Food for the past few years has definitely seen a revival and Jamaica Food & Drink Festival is honoured to be at the helm of deepening our appreciation for food and positioning Jamaica as the gastronomy destination of the Caribbean.”

A labour of love, Jamaica Food & Drink Kitchen was conceptualised with the intention of showcasing the immense scope of gastronomy in Jamaica from the country’s chefs, food purveyors and artisans and providing food lovers with a more profound culinary experience.

EXCITING PROSPECT OF OPENING FIRST-EVER EXPERIENCE KITCHEN

According to JFD Kitchen Director Nicole Pandohie, this involves raising the bar in food innovation and entertainment offerings.

“We are so excited at the prospect of opening Jamaica’s first-ever experience kitchen. The Jamaica Food and Drink Kitchen is a space where Jamaican gastronomy will have the freedom to be whatever it wants to be Thai, West African, Korean, our heritage, after all, is multi-dimensional and so is our line-up,” Pandohie said.

“Our market will allow you to entertain in style and push you to elevate your cooking game with our specialty wares and products. The Jamaica Food and Drink brand are on a path to revolutionising the culinary entertainment landscape in Jamaica and cementing Kingston as a culinary destination.”

JFD Kitchen is where this year’s Jamaica Food & Drink Festival, presented by VISA, is set to unfold, allowing guests to choose from a variety of immersive culinary experiences ranging from ‘Cooking + Cocktails’, ‘Interactive Nights Out’ and ‘Spirited Seminars’, to ‘Brunch’.

These interactive events feature a local DJ, innovative cocktails and are led by some of Jamaica’s most talented chefs.